


I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified-Iwaoi

by CheetahLeopard2



Series: Gifts and also what I'm doing instead of working on my others [18]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: I loved writing this and honestly thought it would take me 2 months when it took 2-3ish weeks, M/M, Magic Realism, Tooru is afraid of love but that's okay, commission, i can die in peace now, my life is complete, zodiacs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 07:29:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10552454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheetahLeopard2/pseuds/CheetahLeopard2
Summary: A new boy moves in and Tooru falls in love.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Frenchibi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frenchibi/gifts).



> This is a commission for Frenchibi! I'm so so happy you commissioned me!! <3 I had a lot of fun writing this and hope you like it!!

 

It’s 4:53 on a lovely Monday morning.

No one is awake, probably sound asleep in their soft cushy beds with their warm comforters and old worn plushes. Some have limbs tangled in blankets, in others.

Tooru has his hanging free.

Some have their hands palm-up with fingers curled, others have them lax, fingers hanging off the side of the bed or hanging off a lover’s chest.

Tooru has his pressed together, carefully angled.

Some have wrists dangling off the bed, others have them titled under their sides.

Tooru’s are locked firm.

Some have their legs bent, spread and jumbled across the sheets, others have them hanging off an edge.

Tooru’s are tense, worked almost to the limit.

It’s the only reason that Tooru’s heading home.

It’s a calm night. Morning? Morning, Tooru can see the fringe of the sun creating waves of colour on the horizon.

School has yet to start, so he won’t get in trouble when he gets home as long as he doesn’t say where he’s been.

Him overworking has been a big issue. Him even joining the volleyball club this year had been a point of contingency. (which of course Tooru would not allow)

The walk home seems more like a trek, with Tooru’s legs shaking and every muscle aching from his nine (or had it been ten?) hour practice session.

The night air seems to lift him up, prompting him to allow his powers to lift him up and float home. Tooru is tired and reluctant, but recognises that that would be best.

He sighs with relief as his feet leave the ground and he floats along his street.

Only to almost run into a boy climbing out of a moving van to the house next to Tooru’s own that hasn’t been lived in since that nice girl last summer.

“Sorry sorry!” Tooru yelps, ushering a gust to keep the other boy on his feet.

The other only laughs, “It’s fine! I don’t blame you, it’s hard to see with the streetlamp out.”

“Yeah…” Tooru breathes, a bit taken aback by the pure sound that is the laugh of the new boy.

“What are you doing out this late?” The boy appraises Tooru, “jogging?”

Tooru shakes his head, “Actually I was at the gym practicing my serves.”

Why he’s being so open with this newcomer Tooru’s not sure. Maybe the hour? Maybe the steady trustworthiness of the other’s voice? Any way about it, Tooru is tired.

“Serves? What sport?”

Before Tooru can answer, he’s cut off by a whimsical female voice.

“TOORU OIKAWA! Get to sleep now! You have school tomorrow!”

Tooru winces a bit, chastised.

“Sounds like you have to go,” the other boy’s chuckle is poorly disguised.  “Yeah. See you later, then.” Tooru quickly wills the wind to carry him to his front porch, where his mother drags him inside.

“We left you a bit of food from dinner-”

An hour later Tooru sinks down into his bed, knowing he’s going to regret his excursion when he has to get up in thirty minutes. 

 

He does, but it’s not all bad.

 

\---

 

Tooru’s seen the boy around.

At first he thought that maybe the boy was just latching onto a familiar face.

 

_“Oh hey you live next door right?” The boy is a bit shorter than him, with forest-green eyes, spiked hair, a dazzling smile, and a kind of rough voice._

_“Yeah, I’m Tooru Oikawa.” Tooru has a nice smile of his own, he uses it when his mom hosts book club and all her friends fawn over him and how far he’s come to high school._

_“Nice to meet you Oikawa-kun, I’m Hajime Iwaizumi.” The boy, Hajime, holds out his hand, and when Tooru shakes it he finds the skin to be oddly soft despite how obviously tough they are, maybe from a sport? Hajime has a firm grip, and Tooru decides he likes this boy._

_“Just Oikawa’s fine Iwa-san!” Tooru replies, smile fitting a bit more naturally on his face._

_“... What did you just call me?” Hajime’s voice goes low, almost like a growl, and Tooru knows that he must be earth-aligned._

_“You’re right!” Tooru exclaims, waving a hand flippantly, “Much to formal! Iwa-chan it is!”_

_Narrowing his eyes, Hajime sighs, but lets it go._

 

But it soon becomes apparent that they share a class.

 

_“Hello, you must be Iwaizumi-kun. Please take that seat over there besides Oikawa-kun.”_

_Tooru likes this teacher. She’s not the most strict nor the most lax. She smiles and tells stories often and gives extensions(although not excessively). Right now, however, Tooru isn’t sure how to feel about her._

_Hajime quickly makes his way to the far back corner of the room, to Tooru’s right. The window beside him might have been interesting before, but now it took all of his attention._

_Which probably wasn’t the best idea, given the fact that he’s_ still in class.

_“Oikawa-kun. I’m sure you’ve finished your worksheet?”_

_Tooru jolts back to reality and quickly affirms, “Yes sensei!”_

 

Or two.

 

_Alrighty we have a new student. Hajime why don’t you introduce yourself? In english, please._

_“_ Hello. My name is Hajime Iwaizumi. Thank you for having me.”

_His voice lost a bit of the gruffness in the other language, it was quite an interesting effect._

_Hajime was an interesting person overall._

_The english teacher continues to quiz Hajime in front of the class, and the way Hajime doesn’t stutter or is visibly nervous further adds to Tooru’s suspicion of an earth-aligned power._

“When is your birthday?” _The english teacher prompts._

 _“_ June 10th.”

He’s older. _is the first thought that registers._ Still shorter though _. Tooru can’t help the smirk he hides behind his bent wrist._

He’s a gemini. A water-based power, or an out-of-element power?

_An out-of-element power generally only gave the person one or two sectors of the abilities someone who was born under the same element of their star sign has. It would be nice to know another one._

_Tooru is inclined to think because of the slight rumble in Hajime’s voice Hajime is able to communicate with animals as one of the sectors, that would extend to all “flora and fauna” of the world._

 

And, apparently, Hajime plays volleyball.

_Tooru cocks his head to the side in question when Irihata calls for them to gather around._

_Of course it was the new boy._

_“Hello again Iwa-chan!” Tooru flashes a peace sign and Although Hajime scowls, he almost looks relieved to see a-dare he say?- friend again._

_Practice for Tooru, for once, ends on time, as Hajime falls into step with him._

_“Hey Oikawa-kun.” Hajime begins, haltingly._

_“Hm? Oikawa-kun is too formal Iwa-chan! You can just call me Oikawa!” Tooru grins genuinely at him, glad to have someone to talk to other than Issei and Taka._

_Don’t misunderstand, Tooru loves his friends, it’s just a change of pace is nice._

_Hajime shakes his head a bit and restarts, slightly less hesitant, “Oikawa.” He looks up to see if that was the right thing to say, and Tooru found it endlessly endearing, “do you want to walk home together?”_

_Tooru hums, glancing at the clock._

_“Since we live right next to each other!” Hajime quickly adds._

_“Usually I stay another two hours,” Hajime opens his mouth but Tooru holds up a finger to shush him. “But! I would love to walk home with you Iwa-chan. And it would be rude not to!”_

And that was that.

 

\---

 

Tooru quirks up an eyebrow at the route Hajime decides to take home, cutting through a park.

The park is nothing special, rusted swings, a towering playset, edged with trees. There’s an old green seesaw, the paint rubbing off when Tooru drags his fingers over it.

A merry-go-round seems faded against the pastel yellow of the grass behind it, and the ropes on a course are nearly worn through.

 The very air seems to slip into the gentleness of kenopsia, and Tooru stops at the entrance, letting himself settle into the brilliant softness of it.

 There’s a slight breeze beneath his fingers, and he allows the cool flow of it play with his hands, and it’s hard to keep the slight smile off of his face. When he glances down to see the air forming a glove of sand, probably from the sandbox a few feet away, around his palm. He loves these playful breezes that remind him of spirits. Sometimes he wonders if there are air nymphs as there are water dryads.

He giggles slightly and is pleasantly surprised when he looks up to see Hajime smiling at him as a warmth fills his chest when he holds his hand as still as possible.

The breeze dissolves the glove soon and begins making random, intricate shapes.

A cube with a star within. An octogonal prism. Hajime’s eyes.

Speaking of, Tooru glances up and his breath is taken away at the sight of Hajime beckoning a dove. He can feel it’s wings disrupting the airflow of the breeze for a split second  as it passes by, wings creating small huffs of air on their own.

If Tooru were born under an air sign, he would be able to talk to it. That had caused huge problems last time there was a war, as air and earth had been on the same side.

Birds that carried verbal messages were indiscernible from regular birds, and so water and fire had been instructed to kill any bird they saw.

That resulted in a loss of ammo and ultimately, the loss of the  fire and water side.

Back in the war-wrought times, people had been separated by their powers and zodiac. People with powers from other signs were often considered neutral parties, and more likely than not were spies, mercenaries, assassins, or even generals. However, with that war half-elements were of little help except for water and fire and were often given sheltered lives, trapped, or killed.

Hajime, to have called over a bird so easily, must be able to communicate with it, proving Tooru’s guess to be true. Hajime has the earth-based power of talking to all living things.

“You too, huh?” Tooru asks as a couple more birds go over to Hajime.

Hajime raises his eyebrow in question, “What?”

“July 20th,” Tooru says in lieu of an explanation. Although, in a way, it was.

Hajime’s forest green  eyes flash in surprise before softening, “You know, if you can’t understand the birds they make certain supplements now.”

Tooru hums, he had heard of those.  They apparently help whatever hormones were prompted when you were born to produce faster. They were also something that he kept putting off asking his parents about.

The setting sun is what finally sends them home after hours of talking.

 

\---

 

Tooru can’t stand to be around him.

Or, well… that came out wrong.

Whenever Hajime is around his heart feels like it’s being squeezed and expanded with a warm overflowing feeling at the same time.

It’s as though every time Hajime walks in the room every atom, every sense of Tooru’s is drawn to him.

Tooru feels as though Hajime is the one who would overlook all his flaws-no-accept all his flaws. And Tooru would do the same for him.

He feels as though all of his hopes and dreams are things he would give up for Hajime.

As though he can grow around and with Hajime.

He feels as though with Hajime, he is invincible.

He wonders what Hajime is doing when he’s not around.

He feels warm bubbles come up through his throat when Hajime speaks.

Tooru wants to be with Hajime, as much as he possibly can.

And that scares him. So he begins doing the opposite.

Tooru begins rejecting every touch.

Tooru begins avoiding him during class.

Tooru begins hanging around the girls that admire him so he has an excuse to stay away.

Tooru begins taking a different route home from the bus.

Tooru begins looking to his other friends to individually practice with.

This is, perhaps, the straw that broke the camel’s back.

The first three days it’s understandable. Tooru is captain this year and needs to know how to work with each player, of course. The fourth Tooru obviously brushes Hajime off to work with Kindaichi, who he’d already worked with for the past two days.

The fifth day Hajime marches determinedly up to Tooru and lightly touches his shoulder, “Want to practice together today?”

The way he made Hajime add the today makes Tooru ache a bit, deep inside.

Tooru gives a weak grin, “Sorry Hajime I’m going to work with Yaha-cha-”

 Hajime scoffs at that, “He’s not even here.”

 Indeed, the water power was sick today, and Tooru had even moments before sent Kentarou to his house to be sure his kohai got better.

“That’s it,” Hajime grabs Tooru by the back of his collar, calling to coach, “Tooru and I are going to talk outside a moment!”

Irihata had noticed the odd space forming between them and nodded his permission.

Tooru was oddly quiet and still, trying to fight the blush threatening to erupt on his face at the contact.

Hajime hauled Tooru around the corner from the entrance, ready to lecture him, but he understood Tooru’s silence. Like he always does.

“You’ve been pulling away lately.” Hajime voices, releasing Tooru’s collar and not noticing Tooru’s almost whine at the lack of contact.

Tooru shuffles his feet and glances away darting his gaze up to Hajime’s neck and finding himself unable to meet his eyes, “Sorry.” He whispers, voice small.

“Why?” Is all Hajime asks, somewhat gesticulating with his hands and shoulders.

“I’m afraid you’ll leave.” The _if you find out_ is silent, and the unspoken words seem to hang heavy between them.

“Dumbass,” Hajime lightly cuffs Tooru’s shoulder and scoffs, and Tooru finally dares meet Hajime’s eyes, “I’ll never leave.”

And that was that.

 

\---

 

Everything after that is normal. Or at least it appears that way.

After every sentence, there is a small awkward silence.

Behind every laugh, there is a strain.

With each touch, there is a subtle flinch.

Before every Shittykawa, there is a concerned hesitation.

Every smile is plastic.

Every move is rehearsed.

Every nerve is on fire.

Tooru can’t help the tingling, nice sensation when Hajime touches him.

Tooru can’t help the feeling of being _grounded_ , of being somewhere and never wanting to leave.

And it, quite frankly, _terrifies_ him.

 

Love is a fickle thing. The prospect of it can be overwhelming and soothing. Once you have it it’s hard to let go. The only time love can release one from its grasp is by it slowly trickling through your fingers. There are many types of love. Platonic, maternal, aesthetic, sexual, and the kicker, romantic. Romantic love can save you or love can doom you. For some it’s easy to slip in and out of, for others it comes only with time, for some it is there until the other picks some up, for others it’s impossible to come by. For some the prospect attractive, for others not, and love is fluid. It goes between everything with as much skill as playing an instrument. But romantic love is romantic love.

For Tooru, that is the willingness to clip his metaphorical wings to stay with Hajime.

The prospect is daunting.

 

Tooru can tell that it’s creating space between them, Space he can’t undo.

Calls for a ball but not his skill.

Seeking gazes for a seat at lunch and not him.

In class partnering for someone to work with and not a chance to work with a friend.

Looking for someone to share a seat with, not someone to lean against.

 

It goes both ways.

 

Tooru looking for a spiker and not the ace.

Looking for an escape through fangirls and not a person to tease him.

In class looking for someone to share something with, not his friend to tell everything to.

Looking for a person to sit with, not a friend to jest with the whole bus ride.

 

They are friends but not _friends._ They work together but they’re not _partners_. They are no longer Hajime-and-Tooru but Hajime and Tooru. And it’s hard. No-one else can tell. From the outside looking in they are the same.

 

They use the same nicknames.

They seek each other out at lunchtimes and every break between.

They work together during class.

They look to each other first on court.

They call each other’s parents Oka-san and Oto-san.

They sit next to each other on the bus.

They steal each other’s food (when they both like it).

They train their powers together.

They study together.

They walk home together.

Tooru makes Hajime fly sometimes.

Hajime sometimes shields Tooru with leaves.

 

If you asked anyone else, except perhaps Issei and Takahiro, they would say nothing had changed.

But they had.

Things had changed and Tooru doesn’t know what to do.

What’s he more terrified of? Loving Hajime?

 

Or losing him?

 

And so the words slip out one day, the words with the potential to ruin him, soft and perfectly shaped on his tongue.

Words he hadn’t meant to escape.

Words that make him press his lips together and slap a hand over his mouth as though to silence himself.

Words that echo in his mind, said so softly that it seems like they could be ignored.

Except they’re alone.

And the whisper seems to balloon between them.

And the response is echoed on for years to come.

“I love you too, Tooru.”

 

\---epilouge---

 

 Hajime should be studying.

Sure, school hasn’t been as on-his-back lately, but Hajime isn’t as happy with his grades as he could be.

As it is, though. He’s just relaxing in bed, feet in Tooru’s lap.

Tooru was sitting cross legged near the foot of the spacious bed.

 It was… strangely domestic for a sunday morning.

Hajime could hardly remember a time when they were so relaxed.

Hajime and Tooru had kept contact during university. It hadn’t been easy, with Tooru and Hajime swamped in homework and especially when Tooru was majoring in astrophysics.

During midterms they had actually not been able to find any time when they were both online, and had simply given up the stress of it a couple days in, figuring they would text each other when they had more time.

They didn’t.

It was only after they ran into each other, both home for break, that they had come back into contact.

It hadn’t been awkward, quite the opposite with each having many stories to share.

Tooru had apparently been rooming with the Karasuno, Fukurodani, Nekoma captains, with the old Johzenji captain recently joining them.

Which of course included rooming with their boyfriends half the time, which wasn’t really a problem, as they were all in the setters chat and apparently Tooru and Daichi’s boyfriend Koushi were comparable to Issei and Takahiro, with fewer memes. Especially with who they were rooming with, Daichi had his hands full and the only help was when Keiji and Kenma occasionally stayed over when they could.

Hajime had actually ended up rooming with Shiritorizawa’s old pinch server first year, and found a kindred spirit in the tough-love former team mother.

Second year they had moved in with Dateko’s former captain, Nehobi’s former captain (who later got together with Terushima Yuuji, and Eita’s boyfriend, who had been Shiritorizawa’s official setter.

 Tooru and Hajime had exchanged skypes, which they found themselves using more often, what with the setter, captain, mother, and old Seijoh chats.

Hajime was pulled from his thoughts when Tooru groaned and leaned back, hanging his head over the edge of the bed with his hands holding his phone where he could see it.

His legs remained crossed, and Hajime appreciated the curve of his back and the lack of strain on Tooru’s arms, still fit from playing on the national team.

Hajime had stopped playing in college, although had stayed on as assistant coach and occasional consultant as it counted as experience for him working towards his degree and license to work as a physical therapist.

Tooru, however, had never given up on the sport, especially with his scholarship and later being recruited. He was, as a result, even stronger than ever.  

Which he really just used as a free pass to eat a fuckton of milk bread, so.

“Hey Hajime.” Tooru brings Hajime down from his thoughts, “I bet I can make you swoon.”

“No you can’t.” Hajime responds with no hesitation.

Hajime is infallible. Well, not really. But Tooru doesn’t know how to get to him. At least, he’s never made Hajime swoon.

 Tooru rolls over onto his stomach, setting his phone safely on the bed in the same motion, and gives Hajime one of those smirks that strikes like a knife to make his heart clench quickly, “Hajime.”

Tooru smooths his hands up Hajimes thighs, rolling up and using the momentum to swing his his and he prowls on all fours to Hajime’s face, taking care to ensure Hajime can see down the slope of his back when he crowds Hajime against the pillows and presses their lips together.

When they part, Hajime pauses as though thinking, then clicks his tongue and grins.

“Yep, still not swooning.”

Tooru laughs and rolls back to his phone, with the promise of, “Later, then.”

 

\---

 

The next time Tooru tries for a cheesier way. Pickup lines.

 

He saw his opportunity a few days later when they were planning their next date.

Because they were adults™ and spent most of their time together, they wanted to make dates special. A time just for them just to go out.

A time for them to just be together.

A time for them to be young and in love again.

A chance to get out and do their best to, once again, woo each other.

They hadn’t had much a chance to formally go out when they got together in third year, before separating for college and spent all the time together going out and doing stuff and living their lives as Tooru-and-Hajime.

They spent time hanging out after that break in college, but not going out on actual, big, treat-each-other dates.

And so they spent one night a month to go out and woo each other again.

“What are you thinking this month?” starts Tooru, turning carefully from the kitchen counter carefully, a mug of his hot chocolate in one hand and Hajime’s tea in the other.

“Maybe the butterfly pavilion?” Hajime suggests, reaching up from his seat at the kitchen table to grab his tea with a thank you mouthed against Tooru’s snagged hand.

Tooru shudders, turning smoothly into his seat beside Hajime and propping his legs immediately on Hajime’s lap, where Hajime absentmindedly massages Tooru’s knee, injured from years of overworking himself.

Tooru gasps, “Iwa-chan! Bugs! Moths!” Tooru shudders at the very thought.

Hajime chuckles, unaware of the tingles his chuckle sent up Tooru’s spine and the blush that arose, “Well what do you suggest then?”

Here is Tooru’s chance, “An art museum? Actually, forget that.”

Hajime slightly frowns, opening his mouth to say something.

“After all,” Tooru leans forward so his elbows are on the table on either side of his drink and his lips brush Hajime’s with every word, breaths ghosting over each other’s skin, “Why would I pay to see art when I have art with me every day?”

Hajime closes the distance. It’s not a deep kiss, just the lazy brush of lips in the morning. Hajime can feel a slight breeze that feels fresh. The breeze Tooru always creates when they kiss.

“Swooning yet?” Tooru whispers, foreheads resting against each other.

“Blushing a bit. No swooning.”

 

\---

 

Hajime’s first instinct when Tooru slams his hands on either side of him is to roll his eyes.

Sure, maybe it gets his blood pumping.

Sure, maybe it makes his heart skip a beat then stutter into a fast pace.

Sure, maybe Tooru looks really good when he licks his lips.

Sure, maybe Tooru licking his lips leads to Hajime noticing his lips.

Sure, maybe this is hot and dorky and maybe Hajime wants to kiss him a little bit.

Hajime moves to close the distance but Tooru leans back a bit, smirking.

Hajime frowns, slightly insulted but more bewildered than anything else.

 “So you’re just going to fuckin’” Hajime pauses slightly to survey the position they had found themselves in, “ _Kabedon_ me and not kiss me? What are you doing Tooru.”

Well, there’s a sentence he never would’ve believed he would say if he sent a letter to his past self saying he would say it. Not the “What are you doing Tooru.” He’d said that many, many times. But the Kabedon bit was obviously very very unexpected.

“I’m going to make you swoon!” Tooru chirped, and Hajime raised his eyebrow.

“Yeah I don’t see myself swooning, do you?” Wow he’s salty today. Maybe he should recheck his sleeping hours…

In response, Tooru closed the distance.

It was a light kiss, dry and meaningful.

Just the pressure of Tooru’s soft lips against Hajime’s.

And Hajime felt his knees weaken, just a bit. This. This is who he loves. Who he chose. His best friend, his lover, the one he wants to share his life with.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are my everything!


End file.
